Acting Skill Development in the Solo Performance of The Syringa Tree by M.L. Pundhevanop Dhewakul’s Acting Method

Abstract

M.L. Pundhevanop Dhewakul believes that an actor who can be free from his/her ego, with an empty mind, unwavering focus, and unity of body and mind will easily become a character. With this doctrine, he created exercises to train the body and mind of an actor to work in unity, under Buddhist guiding principles on mindfulness and meditation. The researcher adopted this acting method in a solo performance The Syringa Tree with the assumption that M.L. Pundhevanop Dhewakul’s acting method could enhance the ability to become the characters and convey the message of the play genuinely and effectively. The researcher employed the acting method in three different ways; 1) to explore the inner experience of the characters, 2) to prepare body-mind for a performance, and 3) to improve overall skills of an actor. This study is Practice as Research. The researcher opted to collect data in several other ways in addition to literature reviews such as journals, lecture notes, observation, interviews, questionnaires, and a video recording of the performance. The finding of the study is continued practices of the acting method foster trust in one’s self and empty an actor’s mind, enabling them to be, do, feel without fear of judgment from others or one’s self. Once an actor discovers freedom on stage,
becoming a character and conveying a message of a play become spontaneous.